- "Even dogs have honor, yet you have chosen to turn your back on your Emperor, die without yours."
- —Colonel Kristian Kalinin before ordering the execution of Cheken rebles
The 2nd Motorized Infantry are one of the few thousand regiments classified as Motorized instead of Mechanised. This is due to the extensive usage of unarmored trucks to move the majority the men across the battlefield. This is not to say that the Chimera APC doesn't see usage as its effectiveness is something that the most incompetent of commanders can understand. In support the regiment makes use of Leman Russ tank, Conqueror and Demolisher class, that are light enough to keep up the the pace of the infantry.
History[]
The current 2nd Tamanskaya Mortorized Infantry Regiment is not the original. Formed in 505.M41 the first 2nd Tamanskaya was created like every other regiment from the home world out of conscripts and volunteers from the populace. Under the command of a one Colonel Yakov Pavlov the regiment left it's home ready for the killing fields of the Imperium.
Cleansing of Stalengarde[]
The world of Stalengarde, a minor civilized world, had been dealing with a feral ork infestation since it's founding. Thought of as nothing but a minor nuisance the planet's own PDF, small and relatively poorly equipped, was left to deal with the occasional raids done by the scattered ork tribes. That was until a powerful ork by the name of Boss Slit Gitz began to unite the various ork factions under one banner. The orks quickly gained speed and proceeded to brush aside what the PDF could throw against it. Town after town and then city after city began to fall to the orks as they rampaged through the world and the Planetary Governor called for aid.
The newly minted 2nd Tamanskaya Motorized Infantry Regiment was tasked with strengthening the embattled Stalengarde PDF as it was the closest Imperial relief force and seen as expendable by it's superiors. On 507.M41 the regiment arrived in orbit of the planet and quickly deployed its complement of fighting forces to the capitol city, Stalen. Working closely with the PDF the 2nd proceeded to begin a campaign of slowing actions to attempt to stunt the speed and growth of the ork hordes. The first actions of the Tamanians preformed sub par under fire. Baptism by fire was unkind to the 2nd as in the first few weeks on planet the Regiment suffered roughly 24% casualties as reserve companies were ran dry of new men to place on the line. The nature of combat being much different than the wargames done before deploying. These creatures just didnt seem to die and they were much stronger than anticipated.
Quickly changing tactics Colonel Pavlov ordered the men of the 2nd to engage only at range and to preform a bounding fire in reverse until the area was either over ran, at which point withdraw was authorized, or all targets were eliminated. Close combat with these creatures was not allowed what so ever and casualties were to be avoided at all times. Here was were the usage of the "Mule" Truck really shined. Companies were able to engage and disengage at their own discretion. During this period of the conflict the riflemen of the 2nd began to develop into top class marksmen. These tactics were able to keep the orks at bay as companies were under a rotation as they began to hunt raiding bands of orks and out maneuvering them to oblivion. Though this type of fighting leads to land lost to the orks.
Entering the 2nd year of the war the grind of combat was beginning to show as the Tamanians were running out of men. The Stalengarde PDF had been rebuilt by Colonel Pavlov during his time there and though they lacked the mobility of the 2nd they began to prove a useful body of troops against the greenskins holding the line against concentrated ork assaults against key assets allowing for the 2nd to preform flanking actions and giving the Tamanians the ability to use their speed. But the ground lost to the orks was mounting and Colonel Pavlov decided that it was time to make a stand. Issuing his "Not one step back" order the 2nd Tamanskaya and Stalengarde PDF were placed into a defensive perimeter around the final city under Imperial control. The city of Stalen was made into a fortress by the Stalengarde PDF and the Tamanians held the orks off until work was done one the trenches. The siege of Stalen began later that year. The orks, finally able to gather all their forces together, slammed into the defenders of Stalen like waves on rocks. For 6 days the streets of Stalen ran with blood as the Imperials were pushed from the trenches and into the city. Brutal house to house combat ensued with men from the 2nd and the Stalengarde PDF would at time be only a room away from the orks.
Fighting in the city continued until the 6th day of the siege, in a small apartment complex used by Colonel Pavlov as his command center during the battle, the line broke around the command post. Men of the PDF and 2nd flooded back looking for save haven from the ork onslaught. Colonel Pavlov gave that too them. Standing in front of the apartment complex he shouted at the fleeing men calling them to his side and firing his bolt pistol putting orks down that came within his range. Behind him his command staff grabbed at men and threw them into the makeshift line beginning to form behind the Colonel. Here the Imperials from this part of the line made a stand. The Colonel barked orders and belched sent fury toward the assaulting orks. Adjusted mortar fire and held the men in line and order even after his fellow officers dropped to ork fire. This continued until just before night fall as the final ork assault could be seen coming. At its' head was Boss Slit Gitz.
The great ork cut a swath through the makeshift Imperial line. If he broke through there would be a mass route and they would all be cut down. Stepping in front of the ork Boss Colonel Pavlov challenged the big green monster alone. None know exactly what happened but the end is something that all Tamanians know. The giant ork picked up the Colonel and bellowed into his face rearing back his other fist. As the final blow of the ork began to fall the Colonel let go of the pins on his grenade belt and the two were engulfed in flame. None was left after the large explosion but the line was held and the orks were thrown back in disarray, fleeing the city.
With the ork threat ending as the tribes broke up into warring factions again and over the next 3 years after the siege of Stalen the Tamanians and Stalengarde PDF cleansed the planet of it's ork issue. In honor of Colonel Pavlov's sacrifice the apartment complex where he held the line was renamed Pavlov's House. In their 5 year deployment the 2nd Tamanskaya Motorized Infantry Regiment showed high command that the regiments from Tamanskaya were not to be thrown away lightly. Losing roughly 68% of its total number in deaths on the planet including their Colonel. Finally pulled off planet the in 512.M41 the 2nd Tamanskaya Motorized Infantry was allowed to return home for refit and reinforcement.
Organization[]
The 2nd is broken into 3 battalions of 4,000 men, this is due to the mobile nature of the regiment to speed up the movement of troops. The battalions are by no means independent of one another as they do not boast enough men to be effective alone. Each battalion is broken further down as so:
- Battalion HQ (4,000 men)
- 14 Combat Companies (138 men each)
- Company HQ (9 men)
- 2 Motorized Infantry Platoons (37 men each)
- 2 rifle squads, 1 mortar squad, 1 command squad
- 1 Armored Infantry Platoon (40 men)
- 2 rifle squads, 1 anti-tank squad, 1 command squad
- 1 Support Tank Platoon (15 men)
- 1 Leman Russ Conqueror
- 2 Leman Russ Demolishers
- 1 Recon Platoon (26 men)
- 2 recon rifle squads
- 2 Depo Companies (~1000 men)
- 1 Support and Logistics Company (68 men)
- 14 Combat Companies (138 men each)
Equipment[]
- "This is a Kantrael pattern M36 "Short" lasrifle. This slab of metal is your salvation. The Everlasting one has seen fit to give you the ability to slaughter his and your enemy. He protects. But when you are on that forsaken rock this is the only thing that will stand between a bloody death and your survival."
- —Drill Sergeant Mikal Novanoki
The rifle squads of the 2nd have a large amount of flexibility when choosing what heavy weapons to bring as what they don't take will be left on their vehicle. But as it stands motor rifle squads will always pick up a missile launcher as it allows them to put light vehicles out of commission and lay some heavy flak onto enemy infantry. The special weapon of choice is a flamer as it provides some much needed close quarters protection and proves highly useful in clearing rooms and emplacements quickly. Motorized support squads are equiped with mortars due to the fact that the 2nd can extend faster than supporting heavy artillery can. This gives the platoons a mobile fire support.
Armored rifle squads, unlike their motorized brothers, prefer the auto cannon as they can fire it much more easily from the top hatch of the chimera and adds to the fire output of the chimera, increasing its ability against light vehicles. Anti-tank squads will grab the Lascannon for obvious reasons. Killing heavy tanks!
Recon rifle squads, due to their job, are required to stay light and quick on their feet so they do not take a heavy weapon in their squad. They will take demo charges to have some anti tank ability but their job is to observe not engage.
The standard rifleman carries a Kantrael "short" pattern M36 lasrifle, two las-mags that can fire roughly 80 shots each, canteen, and a mono-bayonet. Extra magazines are left on the rifleman's transport along with other non combat related material. Due to this the standard rifleman has a very light combat load allowing for quick deployment and extraction of units.
Specialized Vehicles[]
Motorized infantry platoons make use of "Mule" Trucks, these are 6 wheeled long bed trucks that can transport an entire squad plus it's gear. Able to reach speeds of 100 kph on roads and 60 kph off road with it's full complement of weight on board. These trucks originated from Tamanskaya where they are used to transport large loads of resources mined from the planet. To ready them for combat the trucks are fitted with ballistic resistant tires and mounted with a singe heavy stubber above the passenger seat.
Recruitment[]
The 2nd is the most honored regiment from the world of Tamanskaya and as such the Departmento Munitorium allows them to be constantly reinforced from the home world meaning the regiment stays pure Tamanian. As such the 2nd normally only has to recruit through volunteers rather than conscripts as young men from the mines of Tamanskaya are searching for glory among the stars.